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Waterbury, CT- 28, October 2010-102810CM07 Al Sokaitis runs through a mock play during practice at the Drubner Athletic Center at Post University in Waterbury. Sokaitis will be the new head coach for the men's basketball team. Christopher Massa Republican-American

The East African country known more for Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti wants to build national morale by becoming a much bigger player on the international basketball scene.

Phares Magesa, vice president of the Tanzanian Basketball Federation, heard from several sources that Sokaitis was perfect for the job given his past ability to build something out of nothing in the sport.

"My initial reaction was definitely surprise," Sokaitis said. "I think it was something like, 'Who?' But then right away you start researching and thinking about it as a great opportunity.

"Basketball has become a very popular sport. You see John Calipari coaches (Dominican Republic) and Rick Pitino coaches (Puerto Rico). A lot of countries are looking for a way to get good at (basketball). Tanzania went looking for a new answer, and somehow my name came up."

Sokaitis said that a longtime basketball associate of his, former New York Knicks strength and conditioning coach Greg Brittenham, was invited to Tanzania a year ago to evaluate and suggest how both the men's and women's national teams could become competitive in the African championships and at the Olympic level.

When the subject of a coach came up, Brittenham suggested Sokaitis, with whom he has taken

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part in hundreds of basketball clinics. As Magesa sought other opinions, he heard more good things about Sokaitis and finally offered him the job as head coach and director of all Tanzanian basketball.

"I can't tell you how flattered I am that somebody would say, 'We want you to develop an entire country's basketball program," Sokaitis said. "I don't feel worthy of that, but I am certainly willing to do my best."

Sokaitis, who has never been to Africa, has worked in China and run clinics in Lebanon, Greece and Japan. He is also still involved with Challenge Life, a program he began that teaches basketball and life skills in native villages on Alaska's North Slope.

More importantly from Tanzania's perspective, Sokaitis has been adept at fostering drastic turnarounds in numerous basketball programs.

"I started off coaching E.O. Smith (High in Storrs) where in the 20-year history of the program they had never been .500," Sokaitis said. "Our second year, we went 21-4. That became the steppingstone to other bad programs calling me. Thompson Valley (Colo.) High School was never good, and we went to the state finals. Olympia (Wash.) High School was the same, and we won the state championship."

At the college ranks at Alaska-Fairbanks, he took over a team that had never been to the NCAA Tournament and built a team that was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country in Division II.

In his first two years at Post, the team finished second in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Sokaitis believes the Eagles are ready to play championship-caliber basketball this coming season.

He said building Tanzania into an African basketball power that can compete internationally won't deter him from continuing to build the program at Post, where school officials have been understanding and cooperative.

"We are thrilled that Al will bring his basketball knowledge to Tanzania and help the country in its attempt to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Post University fully supports Coach Sokaitis in this endeavor," said Post Athletic Director Anthony Fallacaro.

From April to September each year, Sokaitis said he expects to split his time between recruiting for Post and working in Tanzania.

While Sokaitis revels in the challenge of making Tanzania's men's basketball program one of the two best in Africa to qualify it for the 2016 Olympics, he accepted the job to give back to the sport.

He watched Africa's representatives, Tunisia and Nigeria, in the Olympics this year and knows he can replicate that level of play in Tanzania with three very good players, six decent role players and the right attitude. Knowing some players can improve their lives by buying into his program, he believes he can make a difference both in basketball success and quality of life.

"It's a very poor country, so it is a place where you can feel like you are really giving back," Sokaitis said. "The game of basketball has given me an awful lot. I grew up in the projects of New Britain, and now I am preparing to coach a national team in Africa. It doesn't get much better than that."

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